The European Solar Telescope

Instrumentatio

Spatial polarization modulators: distinguishing diffraction effects from spatial polarization modulation

Are we alone? In our quest to find life beyond Earth, we use our own planet to develop and verify new methods and techniques to remotely detect life. Our Life Signature Detection polarimeter (LSDpol), a snapshot full-Stokes spectropolarimeter to be deployed in the field and in space, looks for signals of life on Earth by sensing the linear and circular polarization states of reflected light. Examples of these biosignatures are linear polarization resulting from O2-A band and vegetation, e.g. the Red edge and the Green bump, as well as circular polarization resulting from the homochirality of biotic molecules. LSDpol is optimized for sensing circular polarization. To this end, LSDpol employs a spatial light modulator in the entrance slit of the spectrograph, a liquid-crystal quarter-wave retarder where the fast axis rotates as a function of slit position. The original design of LSDpol implemented a dual-beam spectropolarimeter by combining a quarter-wave plate with a polarization grating. Unfortunately, this design causes significant linear-to-circular cross-talk. In addition, it revealed spurious polarization modulation effects. Here, we present numerical simulations that illustrate how Fresnel diffraction effects can create these spurious modulations. We verified the simulations with accurate polarization state measurements in the lab using 100% linearly and circularly polarized light.Instrumentatio

Magnetism, chemical spots, and stratification in the HgMn star ϕ Phoenicis

Context. Mercury-manganese (HgMn) stars have been considered as non-magnetic and non-variable chemically peculiar (CP) stars for a long time. However, recent discoveries of the variability in spectral line profiles have suggested an inhomogeneous surface distribution of chemical elements in some HgMn stars. From the studies of other CP stars it is known that magnetic field plays a key role in the formation of surface spots. All attempts to find magnetic fields in HgMn stars have yielded negative results. Aims. In this study, we investigate the possible presence of a magnetic field in ϕ Phe (HD 11753) and reconstruct surface distribution of chemical elements that show variability in spectral lines.We also test a hypothesis that a magnetic field is concentrated in chemical spots and look into the possibility that some chemical elements are stratified with depth in the stellar atmosphere. Methods. Our analysis is based on high-quality spectropolarimetric time-series observations, covering a full rotational period of the star. Spectra were obtained with the HARPSpol at the ESO 3.6-m telescope. To increase the sensitivity of the magnetic field search, we employed the least-squares deconvolution (LSD) technique. Using Doppler imaging code INVERS10, we reconstructed surface chemical distributions by utilising information from multiple spectral lines. The vertical stratification of chemical elements was calculated with the DDAFit program. Results. Combining information from all suitable spectral lines, we set an upper limit of 4 G on the mean longitudinal magnetic field. For chemical spots, an upper limit on the longitudinal field varies between 8 and 15 G. We confirmed the variability of Y, Sr, and Ti and detected variability in Cr lines. Stratification analysis showed that Y and Ti are not concentrated in the uppermost atmospheric layers. Conclusions. Our spectropolarimetric observations rule out the presence of a strong, globally-organised magnetic field in ϕ Phe. This implies an alternative mechanism of spot formation, which could be related to a non-equilibrium atomic diffusion. However, the typical time scales of the variation in stratification predicted by the recent time-dependent diffusion models exceed significantly the spot evolution time-scale reported for ϕ Phe

Observing the Earth as an exoplanet with LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of Earth

The detections of small, rocky exoplanets have surged in recent years and will likely continue to do so. To know whether a rocky exoplanet is habitable, we have to characterise its atmosphere and surface. A promising characterisation method for rocky exoplanets is direct detection using spectropolarimetry. This method will be based on single pixel signals, because spatially resolving exoplanets is impossible with current and near-future instruments. Well-tested retrieval algorithms are essential to interpret these single pixel signals in terms of atmospheric composition, cloud and surface coverage. Observations of Earth itself provide the obvious benchmark data for testing such algorithms. The observations should provide signals that are integrated over the Earth's disk, that capture day and night variations, and all phase angles. The Moon is a unique platform from where the Earth can be observed as an exoplanet, undisturbed, all of the time. Here, we present LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of Earth, a small and robust spectropolarimeter to observe our Earth as an exoplanet.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, submitted in special Issue of Planetary and Space Science on Scientific Preparations for Lunar Exploratio

Magnetically Controlled Accretion on the Classical T Tauri Stars GQ Lupi and TW Hydrae

Stars and planetary system

LOUPE: Observing Earth from the Moon to prepare for detecting life on Earth-like exoplanets

LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of the Earth, is a small, robust spectro-polarimeter with a mission to observe the Earth as an exoplanet. Detecting Earth-like planets in stellar habitable zones is one of the key challenges of modern exoplanetary science. Characterising such planets and searching for traces of life requires the direct detection of their signals. LOUPE provides unique spectral flux and polarisation data of sunlight reflected by the Earth, the only planet known to harbor life. This data will be used to test numerical codes to predict signals of Earth-like exoplanets, to test algorithms that retrieve planet properties, and to fine-tune the design and observational strategies of future space observatories. From the Moon, LOUPE will continuously see the entire Earth, enabling it to monitor the signal changes due to the planet's daily rotation, weather patterns, and seasons, across all phase angles. Here, we present both the science case and the technology behind LOUPE's instrumental and mission design.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Royal Society Philosophical Transactions A. Corrected typos in v

Comment on "Resolving the 180-deg Ambiguity in Solar Vector Magnetic Field Data: Evaluating the Effects of Noise, Spatial Resolution, and Method Assumptions"

In a recent paper, Leka at al. (Solar Phys. 260, 83, 2009)constructed a synthetic vector magnetogram representing a three-dimensional magnetic structure defined only within a fraction of an arcsec in height. They rebinned the magnetogram to simulate conditions of limited spatial resolution and then compared the results of various azimuth disambiguation methods on the resampled data. Methods relying on the physical calculation of potential and/or non-potential magnetic fields failed in nearly the same, extended parts of the field of view and Leka et al. (2009) attributed these failures to the limited spatial resolution. This study shows that the failure of these methods is not due to the limited spatial resolution but due to the narrowly defined test data. Such narrow magnetic structures are not realistic in the real Sun. Physics-based disambiguation methods, adapted for solar magnetic fields extending to infinity, are not designed to handle such data; hence, they could only fail this test. I demonstrate how an appropriate limited-resolution disambiguation test can be performed by constructing a synthetic vector magnetogram very similar to that of Leka et al. (2009) but representing a structure defined in the semi-infinite space above the solar photosphere. For this magnetogram I find that even a simple potential-field disambiguation method manages to resolve the ambiguity very successfully, regardless of limited spatial resolution. Therefore, despite the conclusions of Leka et al. (2009), a proper limited-spatial-resolution test of azimuth disambiguation methods is yet to be performed in order to identify the best ideas and algorithms.Comment: Solar Physics, in press (19 pp., 5 figures, 2 tables